Sepp Blatter, Fifa’s president, has witheringly criticised Uefa’s plan to stage the 2020 European Championship across the continent, suggesting the tournament will lack “heart and soul” if it goes ahead as planned.

Michel Platini — the president of Uefa and widely seen as the heir apparent to Blatter — announced his intention in January to hold the competition in 13 different cities across Europe.

A dozen candidate stadiums will be awarded a package consisting of three group games and a match from either the round-of-16 or the quarter-finals, and one city — with London, Munich and Istanbul thought to be leading contenders — will